ಕ್ಷಣಪ್ರಭಾ - Kshanaprabhaa

Although not watching the World T20 Cricket regularly, one thing I noticed during the series was the national anthem of Sri Lanka, "Sri Lanka Matha", and have since fallen in love with its meaning and specifically, its tune. There is something in the tune that has made many Southern Asian patriotic songs to be sung on these lines. A bit of Khamas and Dhirashankarabharana in terms of Ragas, as far as I could guess, and they emit patriotism in abundance. The Sri Lankan National Anthem composed by Ananda Samarakoon : Then we come across this awesome piece of lyrics by Sri Basavappa Shastry , in the "State Anthem of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore". This song " Kayou Sri Gowri " was sung by every school going child in Karnataka region a few decades ago: And finally, the song " Jayati Jayati Bharata Mata " by Mayuram Vishwanatha Shastry is a very melodious one too:

Some pictures from the trip to Infosys Mysore Campus in August. Thanks to Madhura, Thomas, Ajay and Aswathi who "dragged" me along :) Lush green stranded bliss!  A Greater Coucal searches for food Bright and colourful, with stunning stings  Morning sun rays light up the brand new flowers  A Red-vented Bulbul begins its day Crape Jasmine blooms on a gloomy evening Bright yellow flowers with a hostel block in the background  No, not a place for retired folks, probably a place to sit and reflect upon a hectic day?  Indian Cuckoo getting ready to sing?  The Red-vented Bulbul flies with gay abandon  A Little Cormorant dries its wings This bright green little bird is getting ready for a morning breakfast flight  And the bright blue Kingfisher contemplates   The majestic look of the Red-vented Bulbul And a video of these and a few other photos: Infos...

Some pictures from my July Pune trip, showcasing the greenness and freshness of the rainy season: Greenery atop the Parvathi Hill Green and stranded Saras Baug in the morning Female sparrow at Saras Baug White lotus in the Saras Baug pond Indian Pond Heron walks amongst the lotuses in the Saras Baug pond Trees stand tall atop Sinhagad hill station Sinhagad fort walls covered with lush greenery Rains threaten to splash Khadakwasla lake, as seen from Sinhagad hilltop Sinhagad valleys covered with nothing but green A rain drenched Indian Myna Lonesome Stranger Stairs to invisibility Ficus Religiosa with its golden new leaves Endless greenery reminding a well planned tea estate "Two roads diverged in a green wood..." Standing tall in the mountain mist "The road not taken"

I was introduced to a mesmerizing  piece of music last year when my colleague Aniruddha's mobile phone rang when we were on call discussing some work in the most serious mindset possible. I was dumbstruck by the calmness that little piece of music could bring to my mind while in the middle of a critical design discussion, even as Aniruddha went on to recieve the call thus cutting short my opportunity to listen to that heavenly sound. On asking him about the details later, I got to know that it was the beginning part of a song from a Marathi movie named " Balgandharva ", released in 2011 - portraying the life and times of a famous Marathi singer and actor. I then went on to listen to that song myself, and ever since, it has been delivering a daily morning dose of cheering up, as I feel that it brings in a great deal of calming influence - " Panchtund Nararundamaladhara ", a Naandi song of the play " Shakuntal " as portrayed in the movie Balgandharva, ...

Continuing to be spellbound by Charukeshi raga, about which I had blogged here , a few more of my recent favorites are here: 1. Dhrupad recital by the famous Gundecha Brothers , a Kabir bhajan: 2. Carnatic : The versatile Ghatam Karthik comes up with his own composition, "Charukeshi Sarasijalochani": 3. Fusion : MTV Coke Studio, where Bombay Jayashree sings in Raga Durga, while Ustad Rashid Khan brings in Charukeshi: 4. Movie : Song Krishna Kripa Sagaram from the Malayalam movie Sargam, sung by K. J. Yesudas and K.S. Chitra

The Mahalingeshwara Temple at Santhebachahalli village in Krishnarajapet Taluq of Mandya district is one forgotten Hoysala shrine that has evaded the eyes of historians for long. The 12th century temple is of Ekakuta type, and contains the Shiva Linga in the main sanctum. The Bhuvaneshwaris are as usual adorn with intricate symmetric circular carvings and the carvings of asta dikpalakas, the gods of the eight directions according to Hindu mythology. Many usual carvings adorn the vimana gopura, and similar to many early temples of the Hoysala architecture, the surrounding walls are devoid of any great sculptures. Here is a video as usual, of the photos taken at the temple: